Compassion can be found in unexpected place
by lost soul's keeper
Summary: AU. Set during lock up. Professer Crane is on the run and needs help. He finds it. But not from who he thought.
1. He ran

A/N: Ok. We all hated LOCK-UP. So in true fanfiction style I decided to do an AU fanfic of it!

If you don't like it please don't flame me. I'm fragile. : does puppy face:

Disclaimer: none of the characters of B:TAS belong to me..but god I wish they did..But alas they belong to the wonderful creators of the cartoon and DC comics.

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He ran.

He didn't look back.

He didn't think.

He just ran.

He didn't dare stop.

Adrenaline coursed through him making him faster.

But he wasn't a fool. He knew that adrenaline was the only thing giving him speed.

He couldn't last forever.

He needed help.

He needed a place to rest, food, and fresh water.

He needed someone who would show him compassion.

He almost laughed aloud at that.

Compassion. He the master of fear, who had terriozed the city for years and was a proud so-called rouge of Gotham, needed compassion.

No one who was in their right MIND would listen to him.

The only people who would was his fellow rouges and only Poison Ivy, The joker and Two face were free and he didn't even know where they were!

He felt the bruise on his ribs throb along with spot on his face where Bolton had punched him.

He needed shelter and medical care...

He needed help.

He shut his eyes.

There was one person he could contact but it was a gamble.

"Batman." He whispered.

He didn't know if batman would listen to him but he had no choice.

He leaned against the wall to rest for a moment.

Yes. Batman was his only hope.

He absently decided that he really did HATE how horribly ironic life was at times.

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A/N: Ok. Did you like it? Hate it? Well click review button and tell me all about it! What will happen next? Heck I'm writing this and I don't know!


	2. Asking for help

A/n: Ok. Here's chapter of this grand old AU LOCK UP fic! I would like to dedicate this chapter to Vytina who has been such a big help with all of my recent fics and such a good friend. So big shout-out to her!

Disclaimer: None of the characters from the show are mine, despite the candles and the chanting they still belong to DC and whoever came up with the idea of the cartoon.

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Batman hit the roof and looked around. Gordon usually stood in the light but the roof seemed empty now. "Commissioner?" He spoke in a half asking half calling tone. He felt a tingle of unease in his stomach. The commissioner usually stood right in front of the signal, but this time the roof seemed deserted. Something wasn't right.

Crane swallowed hard as batman arrived and called for the commissioner. He didn't want to do this...He didn't want to throw his pride away like this...but...."Batman," he said softly, stepping out into the light,But not enough to show his bruised face. He nearly cringed as Batman turned a scowl on his face at the voice and said his name with a growl in his tone. 'No...Not now.' He thought to himself. 'Don't show weakness now. Be strong.' "You sound delighted to see me." he said, trying to keep the whimper out of his voice.

Batman moved forward grabbing his shirt but not enough to clearly see his face. "Where's the commissioner? What the hell is going on?!" This wasn't crane's style but batman didn't let his guard down...not now...crane was a master planner...always had an ace up his sleeve.

The ex-professor winced at the tone and the grabbing, "Let me go." he said, a soft warning in his voice. He would NOT show weakness. Not here. Not to this man. He was going to save his dignity if it killed him.

Batman realized he could gas him and decided to try a different way of restraining him. The click of bat cuffs were the only warning the ex-professor had before he found himself cuffed with his hands behind his back. "Where's the commissioner?" he growled again spinning crane back around still unable to see the man's face clearly.

"Not here," Was Crane's frank answer. His black eyes were cold as they stared into the dark knight's masked ones. He was no stranger to having to hide his emotions, and now was no exception.

Batman growled and slammed the man up against the side of the bat signal. "What. Did. You. DO?!" He wasn't going to play games. If Crane had done something to

He gasped softly, trying to pull himself together before he cried out in pain. "I didn't do a damn thing!" he growled.

Batman looked at him. "I don't believe you...you wouldn't have been able to get up here without doing something to get access..."

He managed a smirk, "When was the last time I went through the front door, Batman?" he said with a soft chuckle, "I scaled the wall." He nodded toward a rope, looped around the wall.

Batman looked at him eyes hard. His mind was racing. This wasn't crane's usual tactic...it was like he was deliberately trying to get batman's attention. That was more jokers' style not scarecrows.

"The commissioner was never here," he said quietly, trying to breathe from the vice-like grip, "Never. I hit the signal."

"Why?" Batman's voice was neutral and his grip didn't lessen.

He coughed softly, writhing slightly. "To call you. Since you're not exactly listed in the phone book, it's the only way to get your attention. You're a damn impossible man to reach."  
Batman looked at him. "Why?" he asked again

He swallowed. He was less than willing to admit he, the Master of Fear, needed help.

Batman sighed. He didn't have time for this...well actually he did but he didn't feel like waiting around for crane to decide that he would speak. "Fine you can tell me on the ride back to arkham." he said grabbing the man's arm and reaching for his belt for his gun.

"No!" he said his desperation so great he managed to rip out of Batman's hold. "No, don't take me back there!!!" All thoughts of dignity and pride were momentarily gone. He couldn't go back there. It would kill him. Bolton would kill him.

Batman paused and looked back at him. This was different. Before he could ask farther the door was pushed open and Gordon stood there with his gun. "I saw the signal on and..." he saw batman and crane on the ground near the bat signal. "What's going on?"

Crane swallowed hard. His ribs were objecting rather painfully...more than painfully. This was downright excruciating. He looked at Gordon as he frowned. "Professor Crane?" He looked at batman. "What?" Batman looked at him "I don't know either...but don't worry commissioner. I've got it under control."  
Of course he did....he always had it under control, Crane thought bitterly. He had nothing to worry about......he wasn't dealing with Bolton's reign of terror.  
Gordon looked at the silent rouge and spoke to batman, "Your taking him back to arkham them?" Batman looked at him and said "I'll take care of this commissioner. Don't worry." He raised an eyebrow as his gaze fell on the handcuffed man who was giving him a look...a desperate look.  
But he was the only one who saw it since Gordon had his back to crane and hadn't seen the professor's look.

Gordon nodded. "I'll just get back to the mundane stuff then..." Batman nodded and Gordon left. Batman looked at crane his face giving nothing at all then sighed and walked back over. "Come on crane. We need to get you back."

The handcuffed male had been biting his lip slightly, feeling quite childish but unable to do anything to stop himself. "Please...." his voice came out cracked and pathetic. He hadn't sounded like this since he was a child. He hated doing this. He hated begging for something on his knees but He couldn't go back to that hellhole. He couldn't. It would kill him.

Batman had paused at the plea; he was right in front of crane. And the thinner male was on his knees now and wasn't looking at him.  
"Please don't....." the plea came again still soft and nearly broken  
Batman looked at him. "Crane what's going on?" He was feeling that something really was wrong. Jonathan Crane wasn't like this. He wasn't someone who showed fear like this. Not for going back to arkham anyway.

"You won't believe me. Just don't take me back." Crane said stubbornly. He was already begging he didn't want it to go any farther then it had already.

Batman folded his arms. "Crane. Unless I have a reason. I'm going to take you back." He said firmly.  
He watched as the ex-teacher bit his lip hard, drawing blood. "No......" was the answer though the voice quiet and almost shaky.

Batman sighed and lifted him up by the arm. "Fine then." he said grabbing his gun from his belt. He didn't have time for this. He was just going to do his job. He didn't know what crane was playing at but…suddenly crane spoke again and his voice was defeated and pleading.

"Bolton."

Batman looked at him. "Bolton? The new chief of security?"

Crane nodded, looking plainly terrified; "Yes........please, please...." He begged looking up at the dark knight.  
Batman looked at him, then gently took the other man's arm and pulled him into the light from the signal. Crane looked awful. He seemed thinner and had deep shadows under his eyes and a bruise on his cheeck.  
"Please....." The beaten man's voice was a whisper " Please…take me anywhere, just not there."

Batman looked at him silently mind racing. If Bolton had done this.

He shivered softly. "Batman, please...look at me. I'm shaking with fear! Me, the Scarecrow!" He pleaded.

Batman's gaze suddenly seemed softer. "I can see that..." he said gently. Yes...he could...but the problem was most of the places he could give crane too would send him right back to arkham. There weren't a lot of places that wouldn't and yet he couldn't just let him run around Gotham.  
Crane continued trying to show that he wasn't a threat."I wasn't even going back to crime this time...I just had to get away from him!"

"Why contact me the?" the dark knight asked looking at the man in front of him.

"Who else was I supposed to go to?"

Batman looked at him. That made sense in an odd twisted way but...He sighed. And took his gun off his belt "Come on my cars nearby." He watched crane nod slowly and step over to him, obeying his command.  
Batman held held close to him and swung them both down to his car. But he noticed how thin the man was. He could practically count the man's ribs.

Crane stumbled against the car. The sudden rush of air made him dizzy.  
He vaguely felt Batman catch him and helped him steady himself then into the car, Where he slumped into the seat, shivering slightly. He controlled his breathing. 'Now was not the time to seem weak....' He thought to himself 'not now, not ever.'

Batman frowned as he got into the driver's seat. He had to make a decision about what to do with crane. He knew he'd be looking into this but...right now this man was his biggest priority. Crane's He breathing was slowly and heavily. And  
Batman frowned as he noticed crane seemed flushed and stopped the car before feeling the handcuffed man's forehead. The red head shuddered slightly, his head in an unpleasant whirl. Batman's frown deepened slightly, Crane had a fever. He could tell that even without taking off his gloves. This was bad, crane needed medical care but the hospital would turn him back over to arkhman.

Crane felt his head roll from side to side. He knew he was feverish, and he hated it. He hated being this...vulnerable. He heard Batman sighed and then the door of the car opened the and gentle hands moved crane to lean forward a bit.  
He swallowed weakly as he realized that he was too weak to really fight now, His body was a feverish slave to Batman's hands. But the Dark Knight only unlocked the cuffs. Of course, it was obvious that crane was in no condition to fight and that if he tried batman could easily cuff him again.  
He swallowed again. His throat felt so dry and parched. Not surprising, considering Bolton hadn't allowed their usual delivery of water for two months.

Batman climbed back in the driver's seat. He couldn't take crane back to the asylum but he couldn't only think of one place that could think of where crane could get medical help and not go back to arkham was with him.

He looked back at his passenger as crane let out a guttural moan, coughing softly and sighed. He knew what he had to do. He started to drive again. Crane fell back against the seat with another moan. Batman looked at him "Just relax. You'll be in a bed soon" he said tone gentler then he had ever spoken to crane.

Crane managed to nod. He felt so tired. He just prayed that batman believed him because if he didn't then...batman had to believe him. He had too.

Batman kept driving he knew that he was nearing the turnoff to arkham and could feel crane growing tenser. The escapee breathed heavily, coughing again.  
Batman didn't say anything as he drove; he drove up to the road and passed it.  
Crane swallowed softly relief plain on his face. Batman looked at him. "Its ok crane...just rest now..." "Batman..." whatever crane wanted to say faded as he passed out.

Gotham's self made protector stopped the car and checked him. He didn't seem like he was going to die but he needed a real bed and some balm on his wounds fast...probably some food too. After driving for about another hour he had gotten him to the bat cave and gently lifted him out of the car and got him to the infirmary in the cave, trying not to focus on how slumped the beaten man was in his arms. He gently tucked him into the bed. It was a single but the mattress was good and the blanket was warm.

Crane's head fell to the side but Batman gently pushed it back and placed a cold compress to his forehead to get his fever down. The unconicencess rouge shivered at the cold cloth.

Batman soothingly spoke. "It's ok Jonathan...your safe."  
He frowned as his 'patient' swallowed hard. What was the matter?

He watched the arkham runaway shiver again and gently tucked the blanket around the sleeping male.  
Crane sighed in sleep. Batman sighed as well and turned to leave. He should contact the head doctors at arkham and use Bruce Wayne's name to get a hearing to look into this.  
Batman paused and looked back frowning as crane moaned quietly in sleep, thrashing.  
The sleeping male was tossing slightly, "No...No please..."  
Batman moved back next to Jonathan. 'He's having a bad dream...' he realized  
"Please.....I'll be good........beg you...." his voice was more of a sob."Please..."

Batman frowned. He didn't like that sound of that, he gently started to shake his patient's shoulder. "Jonathan wake up" He stepped back as Jonathan thrashed, "No! No!" He moaned obviously in a bad memory.

Batman gently stopped the thrashing "Jonathan wake up!"  
Crane's eyes flew open, breathing hard and Batman gently and automatically let him go. "It's ok. You're safe."

Crane sat up. His heart was racing, cold sweat soaking his body  
Batman was speaking gently to him. "It's ok Jonathan your safe now."  
The shaking paused and he turned his gaze to the Dark Knight, "You called me...Jonathan."

Batman looked at him "Yes...I suppose I did."

"Why....?" The question was soft and unsure.

Batman shrugged. "I don't know...." as the thinner male started to cough he silently stood and got a bottle of water from the fridge he kept down there before coming back and handing it to him.

"Thank you."

Batman nodded "Of course." a part of him wanted more information about what was going on but this wasn't the time.  
Crane swallowed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He wasn't back at arkham. That was good. But he was still achy and still tired. He wasn't thirsty anymore. That was a bit better.  
Batman watched him. He stilled seemed feverish and shaken. This wasn't good... "Do you need more water?" he asked gently He shook his head.  
Batman nodded. He knew that sooner or later he would need more information but right now crane needed to rest.  
Crane laid his head back.  
Batman gently tucked the blanket around him "Just rest now. When you feel up to eat I'll get you something to eat."  
"Why are you doing this?"  
Batman paused. "I..." he sighed."I can't send you back there...not if you're being abused...not like this..."  
"So the mighty Batman has a heart beneath that armor...."  
Batman frowned. "I never claimed not too..."  
"No, you just don't show it."

Batman didn't even flinch. "I have a job to do. I can't let my emotions rule me."  
He raised an eyebrow. "I see."  
Batman stood. "You need to rest." He said.  
"Ever the escape artist I see."  
Batman looked back at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
The bedridden man smirked, even in his current state.

Batman rolled his eyes and left locking the door from the outside, Then spent the next 25 minutes making arrangements for Bolton to have an informal hearing in 3 days and for him to not be let back into arkham before then. He didn't want to risk the others' being threatened into lying.

Batman rubbed his head and looked back toward the room door. He knew he should go check on the other rouges. To see how badly the damage was...  
Yes, He needed to check on the others and see if they were in the same condition as crane. At that thought Batman paused...he should at least see if crane needed anything. He sighed and opened the door to the room and stepped inside. "I'm going to arkham to check on the others....do you need anything before I go?"  
Crane didn't look up "Don't let me stop you...." he said

Batman rolled his eyes, so like crane. "Alright then..." he turned to leave.

He paused as he suddenly heard a soft "Thank you." From the man in the bed. Batman looked back and nodded. "Your welcome" he answered.

Crane turned back over on his side as Batman shut the door and locked it then left to go to arkham. Batman had believed him. He wasn't going back to arkham. At least not yet. He was safe from Bolton.

He was safe.

Exhaustion caught up with him and he curled into the bed. He knew later he'd want a bath and some real food. Later he'd take care of the all that.

But for right now, he just slept.


	3. Seeing part of the damage

A/N: I am SO sorry it took so long. My muses decided to go on extended vacation. But I hope this chapter is ok. It's unbetaed so I know there are probably errors with grammar and such. But I hope all of you enjoy it and remember, reviews and ideas for the next chapter are LOVE! ^_^

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Arkham had always been unnerving.

Simply know what kind of people were in there was enough to make people shudder.

Batman had gone in there more times then he could count and part of him was still unnerved by the place.

But tonight he was unnerved for a different reason. Arkham was silent.

Arkham was never silent, there was always something going on in there, someone yelling, something banging, some sort of noise to let people know that there were people in there.

Something was definitely wrong.

He found the usual point where he entered and slipped into the building. H

He looked around and didn't see anyone coming so he headed down the hall, knowing where he was going by instinct.

3 minutes later he was using his ID scrambler card to get into the Hallway for the Rouges.

It was silent too and that scared him even more then the silence of the rest of the asylum did.

The rouges were never silent. Not for long anyway.

No wait. It wasn't silent.

He heard soft sobs.

He followed them down the hall trying not to feel sick by what he saw his flashlight cast light into the cells briefly.

He saw Edward Nygma chained to his cot covered in bruises and when his head turned to look near the light Batman realized he had been drugged to the point of being a vegetable almost. He passed the cell of Jervis tetch who was staring at the wall, his book torn up on the floor of the cell.

It sickened him as he followed the sobs and stops outside of a cell pausing to read the name.

Harleen Quinzell.

He braced himself for the worst and entered.

A/N: Ok. Guys! Polltime! How badly should Harley be hurt? Should he talk to anyone else as well as Harley? R&R and let met know what you want to see!


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